Tape applying apparatus



P 1961 D. A. SCHULDT 3,000,159

TAPE APPLYING APPARATUS Filed April 27, 1959 DONALD A. SCHULD T INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,000,159 TAPE APPLYING APPARATUS Donald A. Schuldt, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 809,133 10 Claims. (Cl.53198) This invention relates to improvements in tape applying apparatus which, in the illustrated embodiment has particular utility in taping a package unit comprising a plurality of rectangular packages, such as cigarette packages. The inventive concept, however, is susceptible of much wider application.

In certain retail establishments a number of commodities are packaged individually in generally rectangular packages, and ordinarily such commodities are purchased several packages at a time. To facilitate handling and checking of these items, as for example in a super market, it is desirable to provide, as does the present invention, a means for quickly and simply taping a number of such packages together into a unit by means of inexpensive pressure sensitive adhesive tape.

The embodiment of the invention selected for illustration is particularly well adapted, for example, to the facile taping together of a plurality of cigarette packages into a package unit. By a simple one-hand operation the improved apparatus is operable to apply an extent of pressure sensitive adhesive tape along one side of a group of juxtaposed packages to be taped, the tape being applied to the packages successively as they are moved past a tape applying head, and there being means for severing the tape intermediate the taped package unit and the tape applying head after the package unit has moved beyond said head. The improved tape applying apparatus is adjustable for accommodation thereof to the taping of package units of difierent sizes, and is always ready for use, the taping operation being carried out by simply passing the group of juxtaposed packages through the apparatus past the tape applying head.

The invention can perhaps be best understood by reference to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification and illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of tape applying apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, there being shown therein, in dot and dash lines, a package unit to which tape has been applied and which is disposed in tape cutoff position;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the improved tape applying apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmental vertical sectional view taken along the line III-411 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a portion of the improved tape applying apparatus illustrating one adjustment thereof; and

FIGURE 5 is a view of the tape cutoff knife taken along the line V-V of FIGURE 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the improved tape applying apparatus comprises a tape applying head and means 11 adapted to define a path for travel past the head 10 of a package unit which may comprise a plurality of juxtaposed similar packages, or it may comprise a single package to which it is desired to apply tape. The head 10 and means 11 are mounted on a base 12 which may take the form of a channel member. More specifically the head 10 is carried by an L-shaped member 13 which may be made of bar stock and has a horizontal extent 13a suitably aflixed to the base 12, as by screws on which cap nuts 14 are threaded. The member 13 also has an upstanding portion 13b extending at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal extent 13a.

The head 10 comprises a pair of similar spaced side members 15 and 16 which may take the form of sheet metal stampings having outturned flanges 17 and 18, respectively, which are suitably affixed to the upper end of the extent 13b of member 13, as by screws 19 and 20 respectively. The side members 15 and 16 are apertured, as shown at 21 and 22 in FIGURE 1 to provide bearings for the shafts 23 and 24 (see FIG. 3) of a feed roll 25 and a tape applying roll 26. The rolls 25 and 26 are similar and are peripherally serrated, as by axially extending V-shaped peripheral grooves. As shown in FIG- URES 1 to 3 and S, the tape applying roll 26 projects be-' yond the adjacent edges of the side members 15 and 16. A pawl 27 has oppositely directed ears disposed within suitable apertures 28 and 29 in the members 15 and 16 respectively, for pivotally supporting said pawl in cooperative relation with the serrated periphery of the feed roll 25. The pawl 27 permits counterclockwise rotation of the feed roll 25, as viewed in FIGURE 3, and prevents clockwise rotation of said roll.

Disposed beneath the tape applying roll 26 is a tape cutoif knife 30 which is carried by an angle member 31 vertically adjustably mounted on the portion 13b of member 13 as by one or more screws 32 threaded thereinto and extending through a slot 33 formed in the angle member 31 as shown in FIGURE 3. The cutoff knife 31 is best shown in FIGURE 5 and is adjustably fixed to the angle member 31 by a screw 34 extending through an open ended slot 35 formed in the knife 30 and having a nut 36 threaded thereon. The knife 30 preferably has a serrated cutting edge defining a pair of spaced tape piercing points 37.

It is apparent that the mounting of the angle member 31 on the member 13 and the mounting of the knife 30 on the angle member 31 provides for adjustment of the position of the cutoff knife 30 in both a generally vertical and a generally horizontal direction.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the side members 15 and 16 of the head 10 are notched, as at 38 and 39, to provide bearings on which a drum 40 is removably mounted by means of integral stub shafts 41 and 42 coaxially formed thereon and disposed the slots 38 and 39 respectively. The drum 40 is adapted to provide a rotary mounting for a roll of normally tacky pressure sensitive adhesive tape 43. The extent of tape 44 constituting the free end of the roll 43 extends under and with its'tacky side in contact with the feed roll 25, and extends over and around the tape applying roll 26, as shown most clearly in FIGURE 3, with its tacky side away from the latter roll.

Referring now to FIGURES l and 4, the means 11 comprises an irregularly shaped member 45 which may be made of bar stock and which is adjustably mounted on the base 12 as will hereinafter appear. The illustrated member 45 has a horizontal extent 45a overlaying the base 12, a second horizontal extent 45b spaced above the extent 45a, and an upstanding extent 450 preferably extending in a plane parallel with the plane of the upstanding extent 13b of member 13. Fixed, as by welding, to the extent 450 is an elongated guide member 49 having a planar main body portion 49a terminating at one longitudinal edge in a right angled flange 49b projecting in the direction of head 10, and terminating at its opposite longitudinal edge in a right angled flange 49c projecting in the opposite direction. The horizontal extent 45b of the member 45 may be provided with a positioning members of greater or lesser thickness as suitable or desired, or the member 53 may be dispensed with entirely if such is suitable or desired.

Adjustment of the position of. the means 11 with respect to the head is provided by the structure best shown in FIGURE 4. As is there shown, the base 12 is formed with elongated slots 54 and 55. The horizontal extent 45a of the member 45 is apertured at 56, and a stud 57 projects therethrough and through the slot 54. As shown, the head of the stud 57 is fixed, as by welding, to the extent 45a. The extent 45a is also apertured at 58 to receive a screw 59 extending upwardly through the slot 55 and said aperture, and having a wing nut 60 threaded thereon. It is apparent that by loosening the wing nut 60, the means 11 may be moved horizontally in the direction of longitudinal movement of stud 57 and screw 59 in slots 54 and 55 respectively. The position of the means 11 is preferably set so that the distance between the tape applying roll 26 and the main bed surface 49a of the member 49 is somewhat less than the width of the package unit to be taped.

To tape a package unit, for example a package unit made up of five cigarette packages, the unit comprised of the individual packages in juxtaposed face to face relation are grasped in one hand as shown in dot and dash lines in FIGURE 1, and are placed against the upper end of the guide member 49 with one end of the unit in engagement with the longitudinal flange 49b and with the side of the unit opposite that to be taped in engagement with the main bed surface 49a of the guide member 49. The individual packages of the unit thus have their top and bottom walls in parallelism and substantially normal to the plane of the surface 49a.

With the package unit grasped as described, it is slid downwardly along the guide member 49 to bring the lowermost package of the unit into engagement with the tape applying roll 26 and with the tacky side of the tape extent 44 overlying said roll. The package unit is advanced downwardly along the member 49, and because of the spacial relationship between the roller 26 and surface 49a, the ro e 26 s i tially n ag d y e ow r surface of the lowermost package in the unit. Continued downward movement of the unit, however, together causes rotation of the roll, 26 and outward flexure of one or both of the members 13. and 4.5 to permit the unit to be accommodated between the roll 26 and surface 50. As the unit is moved past the tape applying roller 26, rotation thereof causes withdrawal of tape from the supply roll 43 and application of the extent 44 to .the adjacent edge walls, of the individual packages defining the adjacent side, of the package unit. As a result of the afore mentioned outward flexure of one or both of the members 13 and 45 substantial pressure is exerted on the tape extent 44 by the roll 26 during application of the tape to the package unit.

As the package unit moves downwardly beyond and out of engagement with the tape applying roller 26 and into engagement with the positioning and cushioning member 53, the head 10 and member 49 are returned to their initial positions with respect to each other by the inherent resiliency of the previously flexed member or members 13 and/or 45 returning to unflexed condition. With the package unit in engagement with the member 53 at the lower end of the guide member 49, the extent 44 of tape is brought into severing engagement with the cutoff knife 37 by simply tilting the upper end of the package unit toward the member 13. Following severance of the tape extent 44 as described, the pa kage unit can be reversed and the tape applying operation repeated to apply tape to the opposite side of the package unit in the manner described.

It will b b erved a ch time e as ext n 44 is ered by t e u ofi 3 a portio of sa x n is l e ly t e tape applyin ro r 26 as hown in FIGURES 2 and 3 so that it is positioned for engagernent by the next package unit to be taped. Any tendency for the extent 44 to be pulled-back off of the tape applying roll 26 toward the supply roll 43 is prevented by the coaction of the pawl 27. with the periphery of the feed roll 25 preventing reverse rotation of the feed roll. For accommodation of other size package units, the apparatus can be quickly adjusted by loosening the wing nut 60 and shifting the member to change the distance between the roll 26 and the surface of portion 491: of the guide member 49.

Having thus described a tape applying structure and organization of one specific embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that the illustrated form was selected to facilitate the disclosure of the invention, rather than to limit the number of forms which it may assume. Various modifications, adaptations and alterations may be applied to the specific form shown to meet the requirements of practice without in any manner departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention, and all of such modifications, adaptations and alterations are contemplated as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. Apparatus for applying adhesive tape to rectangular packages or the like comprising means adapted to define a path for travel of a package unit to be taped, a movably mounted tape applying roller normally disposed with respect to said path defining means so that a peripheral portion of said roller is disposed in the path of a package unit travelling along said path, biasing means operatively associated with at least one of said roller and path defining means tending to maintain said normal positional relationship therebetween, and means for supplying adhesive tape to said applying roller with the adhesive side thereof away from said roller and positioned for engagement by a package unit travelling said path, movement of a package unit along said path past said tape applying roller causing engagement of said roller by said package unit and lateral movement of said roller with respect to said path and against the bias of said biasing means to a posi tion in which said roller applies said tape with substantial pressure to the side of said package unit in engagement therewith, said biasing means returning said roller to its initial position upon movement of said package unit out of engagement therewith, and a tape severing knife mounted adjacent said tape applying roller in a position to sever said tape intermediate said package unit and roller upon disengagement of said packageunit from said roller and lateral movement of said package causing engagement of said tape with said knife.

2. Apparatus for applying adhesive tape to rectangular packages or the like comprising means including a guide member having a main bed surface adapted to be engaged by a side and an angled surface adapted to be engaged by an end of a package unit to define a rectilinear path for travel of the latter, a movably mounted tape applying roller normally disposed with respect to saidguide member so that a peripheral portion of said roller is disposed in the path of a package unit travelling along said path, biasing means operatively associated with at least one of said roller and guide member tending to maintain said normal positional relationship therebetween, means for supplying adhesive tape to said applying roller with the adhesive side thereof away from said roller and positioned for engagement by a package unit travelling said path, movement of a package unit along said path past said tape applying roller causing engagement of said roller by said package unit and lateral movement of said roller with respect to said path and against the bias of said biasing means to a position in which said roller applies said tape with substantial pressure to the side of said package unit in engagement therewith, said biasing means returning said roller to its initial position upon movement of said pa kage unit out of eng en herewi h, or adjusting the position of said guide member for accommodation of package units of other dimensions, and a tape severing knife mounted adjacent said tape applying roller in a position to sever said tape intermediate said package unit and roller upon disengagement of said package unit from said roller and lateral movement of said package causing engagement of said tape with said knife.

3. In a tape applying apparatus, a tape applying head comprising a tape applying roller, a tape feed roller adjacent said tape applying roller, tape supplying means, said feed and applying rolls being so mounted that tape extending from said tape supplying means to and over said applying roll engages said feed roll; and means for preventing rotation of said feed roll in the direction opposite that in which it tends to be rotated by movement of tape from said supplying means toward said applying roll.

4. In a tape applying apparatus, a tape applying head comprising a tape applying roller, a tape feed roll having a serrated periphery adjacent said tape applying roller, a roll of adhesive tape mounted for rotation on an axis parallel to the axes of rotation of said feed and applying rollers, said feed and applying rolls being so mounted that tape extending from said tape roll to and over said applying roll also engages said feed roll; and a pawl cooperable with the serrated periphery of said feed roll for preventing rotation of the latter in the direction opposite that in which it tends to be rotated by movement of tape from said tape roll toward said applying roll.

5. In a tape applying apparatus, a tape applying head comprising a tape applying roller, a tape feed roller adjacent said tape applying roller, tape supplying means, said feed and applying rolls being so mounted that tape extending from said tape supplying means to and over said applying roll also engages said feed roll; means for preventing rotation of said feed roll in the direction opposite that in which it tends to be rotated by movement of tape from said supplying means toward said applying roll, and a tape severing knife carried by said head adjacent said tape applying roll, said knife being disposed in spaced relation with respect to said tape during application of said tape and also being disposed to permit movement of a length of tape extending from a taped unit to said applying roll into severing engagement with said knife following a tape applying operation.

6. In a tape applying apparatus, a tape applying head comprising a tape applying roller, a tape feed roller adjacent said tape applying roller, tape supplying means, said feed and applying rolls being so mounted that tape extending from said tape supplying means to and over said applying roll also engages said feed roll; means for preventing rotation of said feed roll in the direction opposite that in which it tends to be rotated by movement of tape from said supplying means toward said applying roll, a tape severing knife carried by said head adjacent said tape applying roll, said knife being disposed in spaced relation with respect to said tape during application of said tape and also being disposed to permit movement of a length of tape extending from a taped unit to said applying roll into severing engagement with said knife following a tape applying operation, and means for adjusting the position of said knife.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the tape applying roller and the severing knife are carried by a tape applying head, at least one of said head and path defining means being resiliently mounted, and said biasing means comprising said resilient mounting.

8. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein there is guide means adapted to define a path for travel of a rectangular package unit to be taped, and resilient mounting means for at least one of said head and guide means normally positioning said tape applying roller with respect to said guide means so that a peripheral portion of said roller is disposed in the path of a package unit travelling along said path, movement of a package unit along said path past said roller causing engagement of the tape applying roller by the package unit and relative separating movement of said head and guide means to a position in which said roller applies said tape with substantial pressure to the side of the package unit in engagement therewith.

9. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said feed roll has a serrated periphery, and wherein said feed and tape applying rolls are positioned to engage the adhesive side and the opposite side of the tape respectively.

10. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein there is guide means adapted to define a path for travel of a rectangular package unit to be taped, and resilient mounting means for at least one of said head and guide means normally positioning said tape applying roller with respect to said guide means so that a peripheral portion of said roller is disposed in the path of a package unit travelling along said path, movement of a package unit along said path past said roller causing engagement of the tape applying roller by the package unit and relative separating movement of said head and guide means to a position in which said roller applies said tape with substantial pressure to the side of the package unit in engagement therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

